Degree or Program Details

Master of Arts in English

The master of arts in English allows students to develop their critical thinking, textual analysis and writing abilities beyond the baccalaureate level through four tracks: literature, pedagogy, theater and writing.

Students have the opportunity to work closely with faculty scholars and practicing writers in advanced seminars and workshops to study texts, hone editing skills, develop both original and research papers suitable for presentation at professional conferences, create original works for publication and gain experience in the production of a literary journal. For many of our master’s candidates, including our teaching assistants, the program offers both theoretical and practical experience in the development of pedagogical approaches. It also serves as a preparation for further graduate study and as an arena for the development of employment skills such as teaching, editing and/or professional writing.

Each student’s program culminates in a thesis, internship or portfolio suited to his or her interests and literary or professional strengths.

Program Requirements

Every master of arts degree candidate designs, in consultation with the program director and his or her adviser, a plan of study that includes a minimum 32 credit hours. Candidates for the non-degree graduate certificate program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) pursue a 20-credit-hour plan. TESOL credits can also count toward the pedagogy concentration in the master of arts program.

Each of the four concentrations has the following requirements:

EN 504 Principles of Critical Investigation (recommend taking during the first year)

12 credits in the area of specialization (at least four credits at the 500-level)

Four credits of literature at the 500 level (considered part of the 12 credits in the literature concentration)

Sometimes an appropriate form for a student’s final project is a practicum or practical experience. Students who complete a practicum as their capstone project must work with a faculty supervisor or a site supervisor on a defined project approved by the thesis selection committee that meets objectives suitable to the student’s ability and goals. The prospectus for a practicum should be three to five pages long and include objectives, nature of activities, a description of the site and the participants. The project will include 50 practical hours for each hour of academic credit, a concluding report of 35-40 pages, which must include the original prospectus, the data and materials generated, samples of writing produced, as well as conclusions on the effectiveness of the project.

EN 592 Portfolio Project (1-3 cr.)

A long thesis, research project or internship may not be the best capstone alternative for particular students, such as current teachers, technical writers, administrators or students pursuing a dual concentration. Such students might benefit more from additional course work and a portfolio development project. EN 592 Portfolio Project requires revisions of at least one critical paper and one paper in the student’s concentration. The portfolio must be a minimum of 20 pages, or 15 pages per credit hour for 2-3 credit hours. Papers may be new works or revisions of previously written papers. Each student, however, will be expected to work with a faculty director to revise, update and prepare the materials for his or her portfolio.

EN 599A Thesis (1-8 cr.)

This option requires a thesis chair and a reader. A 500-word proposal is submitted to the thesis selection committee for literary analysis, creative writing (poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction or drama), technical writing and research projects. Poetry theses will be a minimum of 25 pages and all other theses must be a minimum of 40 pages.